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¹ The Parables of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel,² To knowe wisdome, and instruction, to vnderstand ye wordes of knowledge,³ To receiue instruction to do wisely, by iustice and iudgement and equitie,⁴ To giue vnto the simple, sharpenesse of wit, and to the childe knowledge and discretion.⁵ A wise man shall heare and increase in learning, and a man of vnderstanding shall attayne vnto wise counsels,⁶ To vnderstand a parable, & the interpretation, the wordes of ye wise, and their darke sayings.

⁷ The feare of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fooles despise wisedome and instruction.⁸ My sonne, heare thy fathers instruction, and forsake not thy mothers teaching.⁹ For they shalbe a comely ornament vnto thine head, and as chaines for thy necke.

¹⁰ My sonne, if sinners doe intise thee, consent thou not.¹¹ If they say, Come with vs, we will lay waite for blood, and lie priuilie for the innocent without a cause:¹² We wil swallow them vp aliue like a graue euen whole, as those that goe downe into the pit:¹³ We shall finde all precious riches, and fill our houses with spoyle:¹⁴ Cast in thy lot among vs: we will all haue one purse:¹⁵ My sonne, walke not thou in the way with them: refraine thy foote from their path.¹⁶ For their feete runne to euill, & make haste to shed blood.¹⁷ Certainely as without cause the net is spred before the eyes of all that hath wing:¹⁸ So they lay waite for blood and lie priuily for their liues.¹⁹ Such are the wayes of euery one that is greedy of gaine: he would take away the life of the owners thereof.

²⁰ Wisdome cryeth without: she vttereth her voyce in the streetes.²¹ She calleth in the hye streete, among the prease in the entrings of the gates, and vttereth her wordes in the citie, saying,²² O ye foolish, howe long will ye loue foolishnes? and the scornefull take their pleasure in scorning, and the fooles hate knowledge?²³ (Turne you at my correction: loe, I will powre out my mind vnto you, and make you vnderstand my wordes)²⁴ Because I haue called, & ye refused: I haue stretched out mine hand, & none woulde regarde.²⁵ But ye haue despised all my counsell, and would none of my correction.²⁶ I will also laugh at your destruction, and mocke, when your feare commeth.²⁷ Whe your feare cometh like sudden desolation, & your destruction shall come like a whirle wind: whe affliction & anguish shal come vpo you,²⁸ Then shall they call vpon me, but I will not answere: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me,²⁹ Because they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the feare of the Lord.³⁰ They would none of my counsell, but despised all my correction.³¹ Therefore shal they eate of ye fruite of their owne way, and be filled with their owne deuises.³² For ease slaieth the foolish, and the prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them.³³ But he that obeyeth me, shall dwell safely, and be quiet from feare of euill.